Alberg 30 as "bluewater" cruiser

[PaulCrawhorn]

Noted from past discussions - true?

Design too influenced by silly racing rules (MORC?)

For coastal, nice boat decent headroom

But for long passages, a very tender boat, not so stable?

Very wet cockpit in a blow,

short waterline 20' on a 30ft loa

can't point, go to weather in any kind of a chop

hobby horsing.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by PaulCrawhorn

Noted from past discussions - true?

Design too influenced by silly racing rules (MORC?)

For coastal, nice boat decent headroom

But for long passages, a very tender boat, not so stable?

Very wet cockpit in a blow,

short waterline 20' on a 30ft loa

can't point, go to weather in any kind of a chop

hobby horsing.

Many of the older designs were influenced by race rules of one sort or another.

First like the Alberg 30 it was the CCA Race Rules then later MORC.

Like most Alberg design's, it's very seaworthy and many have been used as Blue Water Cruising Boats as have the Alberg models that preceded or followed like the Pearson Triton 28 and Bristol 27

The boats don't point well when the breeze is up so it does take planning getting to windward in winds say over 16-17 knots.

https://sailingmagazine.net/article-540-alberg-30.html

https://bluewaterboats.org/alberg-30

Nice video on an Alberg 30 rebuilt by James Baldwin uses a new 6 hp outboard rather than messing around with an old diesel or A4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXdS0ufiu1I

[GordMay]

You seem to have, more or less, nailed it!

For comparison, see:
“Used Sailboat Models in Central Canada 27' to 30 Ft." [2001]
➥ http://sailquest.com/market/models/models3.htm

"Alberg 30 Review” ~ by Darrell Nicholson [Practical Sailor, April 2020]
➥ https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...30ft/alberg-30

Another Review ➥ https://www.spinsheet.com/boat-revie...30-boat-review

And ➥ https://www.canadianyachting.ca/boat...il-boat-review

[OldManMirage]

Watch "Routes of Change" on YouTube. He singlehanded an Alberg 30 around the Pacific. The boats have a good reputation. Like many old classics they are built heavier than today's, they are a little slower, the accomodations are a little cramped, so on and so forth. But many people have made great voyages in them.

If you have a chance to buy one in good condition it's a fine place to start. Upgrade and replace as needed to make her as seaworthy as possible. You'll have plenty of company. We are preparing our 1980 Endeavour 32 for the Bahamas and hopefully beyond.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by PaulCrawhorn

Noted from past discussions - true?

Design too influenced by silly racing rules (MORC?)

For coastal, nice boat decent headroom

But for long passages, a very tender boat, not so stable?

Very wet cockpit in a blow,

short waterline 20' on a 30ft loa

can't point, go to weather in any kind of a chop

hobby horsing.

You're trolling right?

the Alberg 30 (for its time) was an excellent blue water cruiser...

CCA boats don't sail upright like modern boats, They are meant to be sailed heeled over at what a lot of modern people consider "alarming" angles of heel. Their waterline lengthens substantially as they heel.

not sure what you mean that they can't point. They point well enough, again based on the age of the design... (late 50's early 60's 70 years ago).

Hobby horsing is a function of how you load the boat as much as the design.

One thing to remember is most sailboat designs have some "race influence":

look at dual helms, wing keels, plumb bows (no reserve bouyancy) etc. all race derived.

[maine50]

If I was looking for a 30' Bluewater capable boat I'd look for a Tartan 30. I had one that I took to Bermuda from Ct. It was the 30c (competition model with taller mast and a slightly deeper keel). still would go upwind like a 12 meter. In heavy weather it would
still go upwind with a very good blade jib. It was well balance and we used the tiller pilot all the way to Bermuda. A tartan 30 was used in the Bermuda 1-2 several times. Usual caveats re condition & survey. Original with a Atomic 4 but many now have a diesel.

[thomm225]

Another Alberg 30 refit by Baldwin at Atomvoyages.com.

This one has the 9.8 outboard in the well.

https://atomvoyages.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aIKJlfC7GA

[Stewie12]

For me 30 foot is a bit too small to live on.

[nortonscove]

First thing to point out is the apparent confusion here regarding tender and stable. They are very different and one does not directly affect the other. A catamaran is not at all tender and usually they are very stable until they are not stable. Most older designs are somewhat tender but once in the groove they are often exceptionally stable. Conversely many modern designs have great initial stability and are not at all tender until they get outside their comfort zone when they can suddenly get pushed into a tender-like state and become very unstable.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

First thing to point out is the apparent confusion here regarding tender and stable. They are very different and one does not directly affect the other. A catamaran is not at all tender and usually they are very stable until they are not stable. Most older designs are somewhat tender but once in the groove they are often exceptionally stable. Conversely many modern designs have great initial stability and are not at all tender until they get outside their comfort zone when they can suddenly get pushed into a tender-like state and become very unstable.

Which is why those old Alberg designs are so seaworthy and make good Blue Water Cruising Boats.

You just have to adjust to the small interiors......and the heel, and the constant rolling downwind which can take some getting use to so you don't blow chunks.

The boat pictured looks a bit strange this far heeled over whereas on my boat it's sort of normal if I need to maintain sail.

Front just came rolling in as it was in October it was fairly strong and I didn't reef the main because I was going for the headland marking Mobjack Bay's Northern side visible at the top of the screen. Temp dropped about 20 degrees in 3 hours

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3I2zc0_7wY

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

First thing to point out is the apparent confusion here regarding tender and stable. They are very different and one does not directly affect the other. A catamaran is not at all tender and usually they are very stable until they are not stable. Most older designs are somewhat tender but once in the groove they are often exceptionally stable. Conversely many modern designs have great initial stability and are not at all tender until they get outside their comfort zone when they can suddenly get pushed into a tender-like state and become very unstable.

Excellent point!

[Emouchet]

Yves Gelina, solo canadian sailor went around the world with his Alberg 30:

He designed the famous CapHorn wind vane to steer the boat:
http://www.alberg.ca/articles/gelinas-cape-horn.pdf

He made a movie and write a book "Jean du Sud autour du monde" about his trip. The book has been translated in english:

https://www.59-north.com/blog/2015/1...y-yves-gelinas

[Don C L]

One thing about those cca designs with long overhangs is that they also have a good deal of rocker. This helped minimize the waterline while keeping a hefty ballast, and allowing for the waterline to stretch out a bit once heeled. My own boat of the same vintage has overhangs but less rocker to the design. I believe that contributes to its slightly higher speed and less hobby horsing, from my observations. Still the A30 is a tried and true design by just about any measure.

[Jim Cate]

Folks above have made light of the heel angles associated with these CCA influenced designs, but to me they are quite important in a long range cruising boat. This opinion is based on experience, not the internet...

I owned a Yankee 30 for seven years and did a lot of day sailing, bay and ocean racing around San Francisco, and several trips down to So Cal and the channel islands and back, the latter up wind and up current... and I loved the boat. Then Ann and I took her to Hawaii and back, and we discovered how fatiguing sailing at 15 to 20 degrees of heel was w hen it continued 24/7 for 16 days (going) and 21 days (returning). That is slightly exaggerated, for there were some periods of lighter airs when the steady heeling was replaced by rolling! But the upshot was that I sold the boat and bought a different one when we set out on our long term cruising life.

And the Alberg will be just as tender and a LOT slower to boot. PHRF ratings: Alberg 30 228, Yankee 30 III 162 (West coast ratings)... that is over a minute per mile, and that's a lot!

Neither of the above mean that an Alberg can not be used for long range cruising, but IMO they should be factored into a decision about boat selection.

Jim

[mdc]

Very clean looking one for sale near baltimore for $5000.


https://baltimore.craigslist.org/boa...457741232.html